Detmar Blow on Alexander McQueen: "Money changed him and then drugs changed him. I remember reading of how he had flown his boyfriend somewhere for £130,000. What did Issie get? Some clothes. I find that quite shocking."

Detmar, the late fashion editor's widower, says he has every reason to characterize Alexander McQueen's behavior harshly in his forthcoming memoir. Isabella helped launch McQueen's career and forged his earliest industry connections. She even bought his entire senior collection when he graduated from Central St. Martins. But when McQueen's success surpassed that of his mentor, their relationship became strained. Blow, who co-wrote his book with Tom Sykes, says most of his wife's fashion friends didn't understand her depression. "People who are lucky enough not to be haunted by sadness don't see the sadness in others. They saw Issie larger-than-life, taking her top off at parties, they thought it was fun." (As regards the matter of the boyfriend and the £130,000, could Detmar Blow mean George Forsyth, who sold his story shortly after the designer's death? Blow ought to know not to believe things in tabloids.) [Vogue UK]

Vogue's party for British designers was interrupted when the fire department arrived. Several firefighters stormed in and extinguished the fire that was burning in the fireplace. That happened to us once, at a birthday party held 'round a firepit, and they were real dicks about it, too. [WWD]

"There is no more fashion because there is too much fashion," says Pierre Cardin. "There is no longer a separation between one year and the next. We can't make fashion every six months, perhaps fashion manifests itself every ten years, but, in reality, people have to work and the stores have to sell." Right, Target? [HuffPo]

Hats, according to Dita von Teese: "You have to be brave to wear a hat. Wearing a hat says: 'I have confidence and I don't mind if people are looking at me.'" [Vogue UK]

Eric Wilson at the Times loves Erin Fetherston's holiday collection for Juicy Couture: "Ms. Fetherston makes shiny velour look like 12-ply brushed cashmere. A champagne-colored floor-length gown, which she wore to the Costume Institute gala in May, suggests the glamour of 1930s Hollywood. A wrap jacket in black velvet says Juicy only in its rhinestone trim and twisted rope drawstring with Art Deco tassels. There's also a hot little dress in pink velour. The prices range from about $158 for an embellished top to $378 for the long dress." [NYTimes]

Kelly Cutrone says Kell On Earth won't be coming back for a second season — and nor will she be doing any more reality TV. Except, she has this new venture in the works, which isn't scripted..."but it's not based on me running around and sharing my personal life in my office and in my home," says the publicist. "I think it'll be me more working with young people who want to be in these different industries, so it might be something like, you know, you look like a fashionista but you're not, you look like a skate dude but you're not, you look like a hotshot entrepreneur but you're not, maybe you should walk the walk. So it's, like, part Great Santini, part fairy godmother." [The Cut]

Brace yourself: JWOWW says she is "in the making of creating purses as well" for her shuttered/revived clothing line, Filthy Couture. [@JENNIWOWW]

Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy has bought up yet more of Hermès — but it says it does not intend to launch a takeover bid for the family-controlled house "in the next six months." So sleep easy, Hermès! Via a truly staggering array of opaquely named subsidiaries, LVMH has taken its stake in the luxury leather goods brand to 17.1%. [WWD]

Nordstrom has signed a lease on a second location in Manhattan. But the shop will have some unusual twists: for one, it will be a philanthropic exercise, with all profits going to charity. For another, though the store will be Nordstrom-owned, it won't be a Nordstrom. "It's not going to have Nordstrom in the name. No Nordstrom signing. No Nordstrom shopping bags. It will have an identity all its own," says a Nordstrom spokeswoman. [WWD]

Following in the footsteps of Narciso Rodriguez, who designed a collection exclusively sold on eBay this past spring, next February Derek Lam will show an eBay collection. Lam will present a bunch of clothes on the runway, and then those motivated to do so can log on to eBay to vote for which garments should be produced and sold. [WWD]

The head of Jones Group, which owns Anne Klein and Jones New York, among other brands, is warning that apparel prices are bound to rise. China's minimum wages and manufacturing costs are slowly rising, and raw materials — especially cotton — are near all-time highs. [NYPost]